Wheel-aligning gauge



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,050

|. MUNDEN WHEEL ALIGNING GAUGE Filed Aug. 50, 1927 IN V EN TOR,

ikMunde72,

Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES ISAAC W. MUNDEN, OIF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

WHEEL-ALIGNING GAUGE.

Application filed August 30, 1927. Serial No. 216,430.

This invention relates to gauges, and especially to improved and simplified forms of wheel-aligning gauges.

In my pending application Number 199, 096, filed June 15, 1927, I have shown and described what I believe to be the only wheelaligning gauge of which the wheel-contacting surfaces face in the same general direction, so that the said contacting surfaces, in the operation of gauging the alignment of the wheels, contact respectively with the inner and outer sides of the wheels being gauged. \Nhile the advantages of this type of wheelaligning gauge should be obvious to anyone familiar with devices of this character, especially in view of the description in said pending application, it is desirable to emphasize these advantages, and one of the main advantages is the ability, by use of this type of gauge, to determine the alignment of the axes of the wheels, regardless of any irregular condition of either or both tires, fellies or rims of such wheels.

The present invention, while having practically all the advantages of the device shown and described in my pending application, has an additional advantage of consisting of fewer parts which are more quickly and easily assembled, while increasing the durability, and minimizing the cost of manufacturing.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in. the following details oi description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Figure 1 is a view showing a front elevation of a pair of front wheels of an automobile, and my improved and simplified gauging device having its gauging surfaces against the inner andouter sides of the tires, respectively, of the automobile wheels.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved wheel-aligning gauge.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a sheet metal guiding support for the gauging scale-beam, v

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the upper end of one of the uprights or standards, specifically the one which is united with the guiding support shown in Figure 3; said guiding support being here shown with the gauging scale-beam supported therein.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the form of joint or permanent connection of the guiding support and the upper end of the upright which supports it.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing a modified form in which the upper end of one of the standards or uprights and the guiding support are integrally formed from a section of metal tubing.

Figure 7 is a view taken at right angles to that of Figure 6.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the axle A and wheel-tires T are shown only for the purpose of illustrating the application of this invention, the details will now be described as follows:

Referring particularly to Figure 2, it willbe seen that a tubular member 10 has one end portion bent upward at 11 to form an upright or standard 12, while the other end is flattened and bent downward as shown at 13. This downwardly bent portion or flange 18 is apertured to receive rivets 1%l,which may extend through an upright or standard 15, or such standard may be spot-welded at 14-, or secured by other appropriate fastening means. Thelower end of the member 15 is relativelywide and curved or convened, as shown at 16, to constitute a foot which serves to hold-the device in the gauging position shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the member 15 is also relatively wide or upwardly flared, and is bent to extend horizontally at 17, and thence curves upward and inward so as to form a gauging or tire-contacting surface 18 which extends horizontally and at right angles to the length of the base beam or main portion of the tubular member 10. An obliquely disposed'brace 19 hasits'lower end riveted or weldedto the member 10, as shown at 20; and its upper end riveted or welded to the member 15, as shown at 21.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 5, it will be seen that the guiding support 22 has its middle portion apertured in such manner as to provide tongues 23 which extend down ward at right angles to the main portion of the member 22, which main portion is substantially level, elongated and extends parallel to said base beam or main portion of the member 10. The tongues 23 are arranged in a circular series so as to fit snugly in the yuppertend of the tubular upright 12 in which they may be either riveted, spotwelded or otherwise secured. The member 22 has its longitudinal edges turned upward and inward so as to provide guiding and retaining flanges such as shown at 24. One of these retaining flanges is provided with an index 25 which may be of any appropriate form, but preferably a comparatively shallow and narrow groove, and this index is adapted to register with the calibrations of a scale-beam 2a, and has one end turned downward to provide a tire-contacting surface 27. This downwardly turned portion or flange 27 also constitutes an abutment to limit the outward movement of the scalebeam, while a stud or screw 28 may be provided in the other end, said abutment 28 extending downward so as to contact with the part of the member 22 between the flanges 24.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that all parts of this device are integrally and rigidly united, except the scalebeam, and in this connection, it should be understood that all parts are made of metal, so they will withstand the rough usage to which such devices are subjected. The tirecontacting surfaces 18 and 27 are always parallel with one another, in every adjusted position of the scale-beam with respect to the guiding support, and therefore, when these contacting surfaces are against the inner and outer'surfaces of the tires, respectively,

they invariably effect accurate gauging measurements which are shown on the scalebeam 26.

For the purpose of avoiding errors in addition and subtraction with respect to fractions of inches in connection wit-h the numerals as usually applied on scales for linear measurements, the numerals on the present scale are preferably arranged in numerical order; that is, the first calibration has the numeral 1 opposite thereto; the second, the numeral 2; and the third, the numeral 3, etc. However, to avoid crowding the numerals on the scale, they are preferably staggered with respect to one another, so the even numerals are arranged consecutively in one longitudinal series, and the odd numerals are arranged consecutively in another longitudinal series. 4

Referring to the modified form shown in Figures 6 and 7, it is seen that one of the standards or uprights 12 is formed integrally with the guiding support which is here designated by the reference character 22 and is formed by flattening the upper end of the standard, slitting the edges of the flattenedend, turning the flattened end portions laterally in opposite directions, thence upward, and thence inward towards one another to form the retaining flanges 2%. A though the index notch is not shown in this modified form, it is to be understood that such notch or groove may be employed in this form, and that either form may eliminate the index notch, and employ any other appropriate means of registering with the calibrations on the scale-beam.

The gauging abutments tire-contacting surfaces 18 and 27 are straight and long in the horizontal directions thereof, and they are parallel with one another, so it is comparatively easy to place them against the inner and outer surfaces of the respective tires, by an operator at the end 1222 of the device] In using this device, both of the tire-contacting surfaces can be moved into contact with the respective inner and outer sides of the tires by a single motion of the device in a forward direction thereof (considering the end 16-18 as its front end). This is accom plished by first moving the gauge-beam or scalesbeam 2(5 forward, to or near to its forward limit, placing the lower part 10 in front of one of thetires, pushing it forward until the plane or fiat-surfaced end of the gauge-beam 26 touches the outer surface of one tire, and continuing the forward movement until the contacting surface 18 touches the inner surface of the other tire; and now, the measuring scale is read at the index 25, and a note taken of the reading, a visible mark is made with chalk or pencil at the end of the beam 26, the automobile is moved forward or rearward sufficiently to turn the wheels through an angle of approximately onehundred and eighty degrees; and now, the device is removed from the front of the wheel, placed in rear thereof, pushed forward until the contacting surfaces 18 and 27 are against the inner and outer surfaces of the respective tires, the latter contacting surface be'ing substantially at the mark which was made on the tire before it was turned, and finally, a reading of the scale is taken at the index 25, and compared with the reading which was taken at the front of the wheel, and it will be seen that the difference between these two readings of the scale will indicate the extent to which the wheels are out of alignment.

Although I have described these forms of my invention specifically, it should be understood that my patent protection is not limited to these exact details of construction, arrangement and materials, but appropriate changes may be made within the scope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A wheel-aligning gauge comprising as an article of manufacture, arigidunit including a metal bar having a relatively short end portion turned upward from its relatively long portion whichis substantially horizontal when in use, a guiding support united with the upper end of the upwardly turned portion, a. standard extending up from the opposite end of said relatively long portion andincluding a long and straight tire-contact-ing surface at its upper end; and a second rigid unit including a long and straight tire-contacting surface and seated in said guiding support and adjustable towards and from the first said contacting surface, said long and straight surfaces being parallel to one another.

2. The structure defined by claim 1, the first said rigid unit including a foot having its lower edge extending laterally with re spect to said relatively long portion in a plane slightly under the horizontal plane of said long portion.

3. The structure defined by claim 1, the said standard being formed of a blank of sheet metal and including a foot which consists of a downwardly convexed surface which is substantially rectilinear in a line extending transversely with respect to said relatively long portion and adapted to hold the latter in position for holding said upwardly turned end and standard substantially vertical.

4. A wheel-aligning gauge including, as an article of manufacture, a rigid unit including a length of metal tubing having a relatively short end turned upward from its relatively long portion when in use, a guiding support united with the upper end of the upwardly turned portion, a plate united with the other end of said length of tubing and including a wide lower end which extends below the tubing and forms a supporting foot and extends thence upward and includes a tire-contacting surface at its upper end; and a second unit including a tire-contacting surface and seated in said guiding support and adjustable towards and from the first said tire-contacting surface.

5. A wheel-aligning gauge including, as an article of manufacture, a rigid unit including a relatively long portion which is substantially horizontal when in use, a standard extending upward from one end of the relatively long portion, a guiding support united with the upper end of the said standard, and a plate united with the other end of said relatively long portion and extending upward therefrom and terminating in a tire-contacting surface at its upper end, said plate also including a foot having a relatively wide lower end which extends laterally with respect to said relatively long portion.

6. A wheel-aligning gauge including, as an article of manufacture, a rigid unit including a length of metal tubing having a relatively short end portion turned upward from its relatively long portion which is substantially horizontal when in use, a guiding support united with the upper end of the upwardly turned portion, and a plate united with the other end of said length of tubing and including a wide lower end which extends below the tubing and forms a supporting foot and extends thence upward and includes a tire-contacting surface at its upper end; and a second rigid unit including a tirecontacting surface and seated in said guiding support and adjustable towards and from the first said tire-contacting surface.

7. A wheel-aligning gauge comprising as an article of manufacture, a rigid unit including a metal bar having a relatively short end portion turned upward from its relatively long portion which is substantially horizontal when in use, a guiding support united with the upper end of the upwardly turned portion, a standard extending up from the opposite end of said relatively long portion and including a substantially straight horizontally extending tire-contacting surface at its upper end; and a second rigid unit including a plane tire-contacting surface and carried by said guiding support and adjustable towards and from the first said tire-contacting surface, the said tire-contacting surfaces being substantially parallel with one another and facing in the same general direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ISAAC W. MUNDEN. 

